Visitors to the Owens Field Recreational Area will one day soon be able to pick fruit from Columbia’s own free fruit community orchard. Yes, orchard. As in apples and pears – –/maybe even some figs.
Columbia officials announced at a press conference today where it plans to put its new orchard. Columbia was one of 20 cities in the nation to win a free orchard in a national contest that included such municipalities as Chicago, Ill., Cleveland, Ohio, and St. Louis.
Columbia won in the second of four rounds of voting with more than 25,000 votes – which relied on reader-submitted voting through such social media websites as FaceBook – beating out strong challenges from Beaufort and Summerville.
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City residents eventually will be able to pick and enjoy the fruit.
“But it’s not just about planting an orchard,” said Mayor Steve Benjamin,who with /other city officials, was on hand for the announcement. Benjamin pointed to the city’s recent growth and development. “It’s about planting the seeds for tomorrow.”
The orchard will include 40-60 trees, and will be planted on a triangular-shaped piece of land – almost a full acre – between the track and field complex behind Memorial Stadium and the new skating facility off Jim Hamilton Boulevard/Boulevard in the Rosewood community.
The competition was part of the “Communities Take Root” program, which is sponsored by The Fruit Tree Planting Foundation, an international nonprofit based in Pittsburgh, Pa., and Edy’s Fruit Bars. The annual program aims to provide neighborhoods with locally grown sources of fresh fruit.
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